Fig. 1 A. Stella McCartney jacket, $2,020, and pants, $595, Saks Fifth Avenue,
saksfifthavenue.com; Topshop earrings, $20, Nordstrom, nordstrom.com B. Rosa laevigata,
Cherokee rose, watercolor on paper, Maria Cecilia Freeman
In fashion, floral prints are as perennial as daffodils in March. But this season, they take a high-tech botanical spin, with designers creating graphic plant patterns in digital and 3-D media. Coincidentally, as spring clothes hit the streets this month, the Atlanta History Center hosts an exhibition at its Cherokee Garden Library featuring contemporary plant portraits in watercolor, pencil, gouache, and more by the American Society of Botanical Artists.
In Following in the Bartrams’ Footsteps, artists explore the botanical legacy of two naturalists, father-son duo John and William Bartram, who identified and documented the flora, fauna, and Native American objects of the Southeastern U.S. in the 1700s. In addition to the artwork and explorer artifacts, the center is using its twenty-two acres of gardens to feature living versions of the Southern flora, including native Georgia favorites like the redbud and sassafras and the rare Franklin tree. March 19 to June 17, 130 West Paces Ferry Road, atlantahistorycenter.com
Photographs by Alex Martinez; Styling by Tamara Connor; Botanicals: Cherokee Garden Library; Hair by Sydney King; Makeup by Karen Tascon; Digital post-production by Amy Radner
Fig. 2 A. Bibhu Mohapatra blouse, $1,880, bibhu.com;
diamond stud earrings, $26,000, Jonathan Buckhead, jonathanbuckhead.com
B. Nelumbo lutea, American lotus, watercolor on paper, Dianne McElwain
Fig. 3 A. Tibi dress, $590, Neiman Marcus, neimanmarcus.com;
Masha Archer necklace, $2,650, Jonathan Buckhead B. Nuphar lutea,
yellow pond lily, watercolor on paper, Carol Hamilton
Fig. 4 A. Giambattista Valli blouse, $595, Jeffrey Atlanta,
jeffreynewyork.com; Dolce & Gabbana skirt, $925, Jeffrey Atlanta;
Giuseppe Zanotti shoe, $1,875, Saks Fifth Avenue B. Sassafras
albidum and Papilio troilus, sassafras and spicebush swallowtail, watercolor
on paper, Wendy Cortesi
Fig. 5 A. Oscar de la Renta gown, $6,490,
Neiman Marcus; Masha Archer necklace, $800, Jonathan Buckhead;
Vince Camuto ring, $58, Vince Camuto, vincecamuto.com B. Cercis
canadensis, Eastern redbud branch, oil on paper, Ingrid Finnan
Fig. 6 A. Valentino cardigan, $1,690, Neiman Marcus; Meghna Designs
earrings, $325, Tootsies, tootsies.com B. Rhus glabra, smooth
sumac, watercolor on paper, Barbara Klaas
Fig. 7 A. Christian Dior top, $1,250, and skirt, $1,250, Neiman Marcus;
bracelet, $1,700, Lilly Porter, lillyporter.com B. Hibiscus coccineus,
scarlet hibiscus, colored pencil on paper, William Alberti
This article originally appeared in our March 2014 issue.
